Wagon end gate



H. E. REED.

WAGON END GATE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1912.

1,303,390. Patented May13, 1919.

/4 37 ifl @mmm T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. REED, 0F SMITH CENTER, KANSAS.

; WAGON END GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lVIay 13, 1919.

Application filed September 3; 1918. Serial No. 252,383.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY E. REED, a citizen of the United States residing at Smith Center in the county of Smith, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and end gate for wagons.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved end gate particularly adapted for use on wagons carrying grain, potatoes or other like articles in bulk and constructed so that thesame may be adjusted to a position to permit of the unloading of the wagon without the necessity of completely detaching the gate.

Another object is to provide an end gate of this character which is simple in construction easy to manufacture and effective in carrying out thepurpose for which it is designed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions one of which for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the end gate constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section onthe line 2--2 with the gate in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a. similar view with the gate in opened position. a i

Fig. 4 is asection on the line fir-""4: of Fig. 1. a a

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing the numeral 10 indi cates the body of a wagon the sides ofwhich are provided at the rear end thereof with the vertical cleats 11 between which the ends of the gate are disposed when the at same is in its closed position.

The end gate preferably comprises a pair of sections 12 and 13 formed of rectangular pieces of wood having their inner ends spaced and tween the cleats 11 when the gate is in closing positioni The inner end of the section outer ends adapted for engagement be 12 has secured thereto one end of a rectangular plate 14: made of iron or any other suitable material and said end of the plate is countersunk within a recess 15 formed in theadjacent end of the section 12 so that the outer faces of said plate and section will be flush. The section 13 likewise has secured to its inner end, by rivets or other fasteners 16, one end ofa plate 17 similar in construction to the plate 14: and the free ends of saidplates are arranged in overlapping relation both when the gate is in its closed andiopened positions. Cleats 18 and 19 are secured to the section 12 transversely thereof andsimilar-cleats 20 and 20 wagon to be unloaded there is preferably provided a pair of inverted U-shaped hangers 21 the ends of which are secured to the sections 12 and 13 onyeither side of the upper end of the cleats 18 and 20 andthe bight port-ions of said hangers extend above the upper edge of said sections and are engaged insupportingstraps 22 secured to an upper end gate section or cross brace of the wagon body whereby to permit of an outward swinging movement of the lower end of the end gate about said b ight portions as pivots when the sections 12 and 13 have been adjusted toward each other to their opened positions, the straps 22 being made of a width consl lerably less than that of the hanger 21 so as to allow a. slidingmovement of the bight portions of the hangers in the i 24 are provided for the sections of the end gate and are preferably formed of channel iron bars and are secured to the cleats 18 and 20 respectively. The bars are of a length suflic'ie'nt to abut against the cleats 11 when the lever is operated. Bythis arrangement it will be seen that when the bars bear against the cleats ll thejv' act as stops to assist the lever in moving the section 12 outofthe cleats 11. One end of the bar 23 is secured to the upper end of the cleat 18 on the sections 12 while theother and extends under the roller 26 carried by the bracket 27 which is secured to the cleat 20. The roller 26 is engageable with the bottom of the U-bar and adapted to guide the movement of the section 13 to opened and closed positions. Similarly the bar 24 has one end secured to the lower end of the cleat 20 while its opposite end passes under a roller secured to the cleat 18 in the same manner as the roller secured to the cleat 20. To further guide the sections 12 and 13 in adj ustments the plate 14 has extending from its outer surface a plurality of studs 29 arranged in vertically staggered relations and projecting through a horizontal slot 30 formed in the plate 17 and movable from one end to another in said slots when the sections of the gate are adjusted.

The means for adjusting the sections toward and away from each other to open and close the gate preferably comprises a lever 31 having one end pivotally mounted upon a vertical axis and disposed between the pivot ears 32 extending from the plate lat. At a point adjacent the pivoted end of the lever the same also has pivoted thereto adjacent ends of the links 33 the other ends of which are pivoted to the plate 17, at 34. When the sections 13 of the gate are in their closed or extended positions the lever 31 is arranged in substantially parallel relation to the sections and has its free end locked to prevent outward swinging move ment of the lever about its pivot. For the purpose of locking the free end of the lever the same is provided with an opening through which pro ects a vertically adjustable locking pin 35 slidable through a bracket 36 secured to the cleat 20 and havving coiled thereabout a spring 37 which normally forces the locking pin downwardly to its operative position. The pin is provided at its upper end with a laterally extending handle 38 adapted to be grasped in order to adjust the pin vertically to disengage the lower end thereof from the opening in the lever 31 after which the free end thereof may beswung outwardly. This outward swinging movement of the lever will. by reason of the links 33, draw the sections 12 and 13 inwardly toward each other and adjust the same to their opened positions after which the lower end of the gate may be swung outwardly and upwardly to permit 1 of a discharge of the contents of the wagon.

at is claimed is 1. An end gate comprising a pair of relatively adjustable sections, plates secured 'to theinner ends of said sections and having free ends arranged in overlapping relation. a cleat carried by one of sa1d sections, a lealso to the ver having one end pivotally connected to one of said plates, links pivoted to said lever and also to the other plate whereby swinging movement of said lever will adjust the sections toward and away from each other, and a lock device carried by said cleat and engageable with the free end of said lever whereby to retain said sections in their closed positions.

2. An end gate comprising a pair of relatively adjustable sections, plates secured to the inner ends of said sections and having free ends arranged in overlapping relation, a cleat carried by one of said sections, a lever having one end pivotally connected to one of said plates, links pivoted to said lever and also to the other plate whereby swinging movement of said lever will adjust the sections toward and away from each other, a lock device carried by said cleat and engageable with the free end of said lever whereby to retain said sections in their closed positions, straps for supporting said sections and hangers secured to said sections and engageable in said straps to pivotally connect the sections thereto, said hangers being slidable in said straps when the sections are adjusted toward and away from each other.

3. An end gate comprising a pair of relatively adjustable sections, plates secured to the inner ends of said sections and having free ends arranged in overlapping relation, cleats carried by said sections, a lever having one end pivotally connected to one of said plates. links pivoted to said lever and other plate whereby swinging movement of said lever will adjust the sertions toward and away from each other, a lock device carried by one of said cleats and engageable with the free end of said lever whereby to retain said sections in their closed positions, one of said plates having longitudinal slots therein, studs carried by the other plate and engageable in said slots, horizontal brace bars for said sections having opposite ends thereof secured to the cleats carried by said sections, rollers carried by certain of said cleats and engageable with the other ends of said brace bars. and means for pivotally and slidably sup porting said sections to permit of an out ward swinging movement thereof and adjustment toward and away from each other.

In testimony whereof, I ture. in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY E. REED.

Witnesses E. S. BARGER,

HILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

